


Momentum

by theriveroflight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Actor Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Fencing, Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Moving, Multi, Physics, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25343146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: Fifteen years of a childhood in Japan.Three years in France.Another five back in Japan.So why does Kagami feel like Paris is a magnet, pulling her back in?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37
Collections: July 2020 - Rare Pair/Character





	Momentum

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the July 2020 event on the Miraculous Fanworks server, link in the endnotes.
> 
> Though this centers around Lukagami, the endgame is OT4.
> 
> TWs: implied biphobia, fighting, police, lack of communication

Kagami sighs. She has her phone leaning up against an almost-empty cup of tea from the cafe she's in.

She's back in Paris for the first time since those fateful years when she was still in lycee. And Marinette is supposed to be sitting across from her. But she isn't here.

Kagami knows that she was early. And then the akuma attack happened, which is probably why Marinette's late in the first place.

But she's watching the livestream of the attack on her phone via Ladyblog, and at this point she isn't even under the illusion that she's still waiting for Marinette to turn up.

She's even put her earbuds in, because she doesn't want to disturb the people around her. The Ladyblogger's voice - Marinette was friends with her, isn't she? - chatters over the video feed of the attack as Ladybug calls for a second Lucky Charm.

They're fighting alongside a hero that she doesn't really know all that well - a...turtle?

It makes her almost miss the days when she was fifteen and  _ reckless  _ and had too many desires.

Kagami still doesn't  _ hesitate.  _ But being impulsive isn't a positive either. 

Someone taps her on the shoulder. "So, why exactly have you been sitting here for the past three hours? Didn't hear the announcement about closing time, and you certainly don’t seem like the kind of student to be working in a coffee shop."

She removes an earbud. "You wouldn't kick me out during an akuma attack, would you?"

She and the worker both look at the screen. Ladybug releases the butterfly into the open, saying her custom goodbye.

She smiles fondly at the sight. As much as akuma attacks were painful, she always found Ladybug's tenacity admirable.

"Not during an attack anymore," the worker answers. "You should go."

They look vaguely familiar. She reads their name tag.  _ Luka. _

Oh.

He's...the person that Marinette used to date.

She stiffly bows. "Thank you. If Marinette comes by, let her know that I left?" Kagami gets up and walks out without seeing his reaction.

* * *

Marinette hastily texts her afterwards. 

**_Marinette:_ ** _ sorry I ditched you, didn't mean to. got caught up in something I couldn't get out fo _

**_Me:_ ** _ Apology accepted. Any chance you can reschedule? _

**_Marinette:_ ** _ Can you do Sunday, same time? _

**_Me:_ ** _ I can.  _

She'll be in Paris for as long as she wants, after all. Mother left her. Well, she left Mother, but only after an argument over her bisexuality that ended in her saying basically that she couldn't be kicked out if she left voluntarily.

Maybe she'll get some kind of education so she can teach. Maybe she'll become a pro fencer. After all, fencing is the only thing left for her. She has more funds, but most of them her mother froze - or she used to get tickets for France and a phone plan separated from Mother.

After all, life is mostly on her side here.

She needs to find a place to stay. She's staying with an old friend from lycée, a swimmer named Ondine who went on to become a marine biologist, but stayed in Paris because of her boyfriend. She isn't third-wheeling them all the time, and it's more "a place to rest at night" than a permanent move-in. It was a solution, a temporary one, to a problem she created.

She finds herself not regretting it.

She can't bring herself to regret it when it's made her life better for it. Okay, running out of money sucks, and she needs to find a  _ job  _ above all else, but...that shouldn't be too hard.

Adrien, as far as she's aware, is still in Paris. She doesn't know what came of Marinette's crush on Adrien. Especially since it got confusing all those years ago.

She's moved  _ on  _ from Adrien. It was so long ago, barely a teenage fling. It's hard to determine if she was  _ ever  _ really in love with him or if it was just teenage infatuation.

She's inclined to lean more towards the second.

She sleeps on the pull-out couch, reminiscing on the past.

* * *

She goes to the café the next morning. It has nice drinks and food, at reasonable prices for a central-location Parisian café.

"Hey, Kagami." Luka is at the counter. "Same as yesterday, or…?"

"Just the drink, please." She hands over the appropriate amount, and places a few coins in the tip jar. "How have you been?"

"Good. I thought you moved back to Japan?"

She looks back to see if anyone's in line behind her. No one's there, so it's okay to keep chatting.

"I did, for a time. And then I had a bit of a falling out with my mother. Marinette encouraged me to move back here when she heard the news."

"Did you know that she and Adrien are dating now?" He seems casual, but his spine is too straight for 'relaxed.'

"I...perhaps suspected it would happen. May I offer you my condolences?"

"No need. I appreciate the sentiment, though." He smiles warmly at her, and a coworker passes him her drink, which he proceeds to pass to her.

"Thanks," she mutters as she walks off.

* * *

Sunday comes quickly. Kagami's done more research into pro fencing in France (digging up memories from years ago), as well as some other job openings.

She's almost relieved at the break she gets to meet up with Marinette.

"Hey, Kagami!" Marinette waves her over to a table. She's a little disappointed that Luka isn't at the counter, but she isn't certain what she would do if he was.

"Hello, Marinette." She pulls out the chair and sits down across from the other woman.

"I'm sorry for cancelling on Friday, the akuma attack was near my workplace and they wouldn't let me out. Lockdown procedures."

"I'm surprised the attacks are still happening. I would have thought that either Ladybug and Chat Noir would have defeated Hawk Moth, or he would have defeated them."

"W-they defeated him, but someone stole the Miraculous and is operating as also Hawk Moth. She doesn't attack as frequently, but the attacks tend to last longer." Kagami notes the slip. Marinette is likely one of the temporary heroes that helps out from time to time. (Like she used to.) "Also, I got you some tea."

"Thank you."

"So...you didn't say much. Why'd you come back to Paris?" It would be slander to call her posture imperfect, but she still manages to straighten even more.

"I would...rather not talk about it. Mother and I had an...altercation."

"I support you, Kagami. No matter what." Marinette's smile makes her feel young again, like she could take on the world.

"Do you know anywhere that's hiring, then? I've been searching for a job so I can find my own place. I feel bad for Ondine. Probably shouldn't crash on her couch for  _ too  _ long."

"I'm sure she's fine with it. Adrien and I also have a pull-out couch, if you want somewhere else to go."

"Thanks for the offer, but I couldn't possibly take it."

"I also know that there's a stage crew opening at a theatre. I'll text you with the information and our address. Just in case, okay?"

"That would be...extremely helpful. Thank you again, Marinette. How have you been?"

"It's been...eventful, but good. I actually do costuming at the place I'm referring you to."

"Ah, yes - how has designing been?"

"I have...a degree in it. I'm not  _ the  _ most qualified, I'm part of a small team at the theater, but I'm good at using scraps, which counts for something?" Kagami smiles at that comment.

"It's...good to hear that you're doing well. You and Adrien moved in together?"

"We've been together for a year, but we lived together before that."

"Oh. I see."

She regrets bringing up Adrien. But she doesn't  _ want  _ them to be forever competing for him. It's over; Marinette won. And they should be able to sustain a friendship now.

Should.

"Not to get...too maudlin on you, but this really brings me back."

"I'm glad that I'm back," she answers, firm. If she says it like a fact, maybe it'll become one.

She is actually at least halfway happy to be back. Not...all of her is, with the ghosts of her teenage self following her around the streets.

She's never been one to believe in fate, but perhaps she was always destined to stay in Paris.

"I'll text you with that info later, yeah?" Marinette gets up from the table and pushes her chair in. Kagami does the same.

"Sounds good." Marinette kisses her once on the cheek, barely ghosting over it. Hardly a touch.

"I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah."

Marinette walks out the door first, leaving Kagami to watch her go.

* * *

The theater is largely volunteer based, which -  _ duh,  _ community. She talks to the director of the production (also the owner of the theater) as people start to file in.

They wrap up their chat. It'll be nice to have it as a way to get out of the...place, but she needs a paying job more.

"Kagami!"

She turns around to see Adrien. "I didn't know you were in Paris. It's nice to see you."

"Did Marinette not tell you? We chatted the other day."

"Oh." He seems a little disappointed. "Cool."

"It's nice to see you too," she answers. Kagami feels a little awkward to be having this conversation with him, like she's been transported back all those years. "You're acting here?"

"For now." He shrugs. "Didn't get a degree in Performing Arts for nothing."

"Yeah." She  _ did  _ take enough teaching-related classes to teach fencing…

"What are you doing--"

"Get your ass over here, Agreste!" someone (one of the actresses?) calls, interrupting their conversation.

"Be right over, Andrews!" he calls over. "Sorry. Talk again?"

"Marinette can give you my number."

"Sounds good." He lightly jogs off over to this 'Andrews' person.

Kagami wanders around the city for the rest of the day, and ends up at one point standing in front of Collège François-Dupont.

School is out of session - it's summer, after all. She won't linger too long in front of it. After all, the only thing here for her was fencing. She doesn't have as many memories attached to this place.

Maybe she can stop in the bakery. Lunch is…a good idea. She looks down at her wrist.  _ 12:47. _

Lunch.

The smell of  _ bread  _ pounces on her as soon as she enters. She's taken by a wave of nostalgia. Baked goods remind her of a few things, most of them from when she first moved here.

It isn't a bad thing, per se.

She orders two plain croissants. It tastes just as good as she remembers.

Kagami finds herself wanting some company. It would be nice to enjoy this moment with someone else, she thinks as she picks at her second croissant.

Her phone buzzes in her pocket.

**_Unknown:_ ** _ hey, it's Adrien. on break rn, but I did manage to meet up w/ M long enough to get this _

Adrien seems to be invested in...being friends. It isn't "reforming their relationship" because that was distinctly  _ romantic  _ and both of them have moved on, forced by thousands of miles and years without contact and being taken away before she could say goodbye to anyone.

If he's going to want friendship from her, she can provide that. Even if she would prefer never to see him again, she doesn't get that option anymore.

And she can always work with what she's given. Let momentum carry her forwards, just as much as it has been since she arrived here.

Kagami just keeps stumbling forwards, and she hasn't had a chance to get back on her feet properly since she booked the ticket to Paris.

She goes to take another bite of the croissant, only to realize that she's picked it to crumbs.

Well, there goes that one. She can't even bring herself to regret the  _ blatant  _ waste of money, a precious resource.

Kagami ends up just trudging her way back to Ondine's apartment.

* * *

She goes back to the cafe the next day. Luka isn't at the front, which feels like a break in routine, but it is Monday morning.

And the cafe is more busy than she's seen it. Tuesday morning, people want coffee. She understands.

Kagami lightly taps her foot as she waits for her order to come out. She can't make it go faster.

"Kagami?" she hears the server call, and she shoulders through the small crowd to grab her tea.

"Thank you," she says to the worker, who she vaguely recognizes from somewhere - probably  _ before.  _ But she isn't quite sure where.

When she gets out, she realizes that the recognition comes from around the streets - and whoever it was isn't really  _ that  _ important.

* * *

The sound of an acoustic guitar is lilting. One of those buskers. She rolls her eyes as she passes the busker in question, and proceeds to do a double take upon realizing that it's  _ Luka. _

And then he starts singing to go with it, and his voice is better than she would have thought. It isn't quite on the professional level - but it works for the pop songs he's performing. 

She feels obligated to stick around until the end of the song, at least.

"Hey, Kagami." He flashes a barely-smile at her. "How's it going?" The guitarist starts playing a careful melody.

"Good," she answers, quicker than she'd like to admit. "You play well." She remembers a catch of an incident from before, when she and Adrien had fencing cancelled but went off instead of asking their parents. And she followed Adrien's lead, then, for once. It was nice. And then she proceeded to get zapped by an akuma shortly after arriving, but…

"Been playing instruments since I was old enough to play the ukulele."

She can appreciate another person who has stuck to their craft. Music wouldn't be her choice, but she's always had to uphold the Tsurugi fencing legacy.

(No matter that she fled Japan in disgrace, disowned by a mother that didn't like her inability to choose boys or girls.)

(Both  _ is  _ a choice in its own right.)

"I admire a person that can stay dedicated to something for so long," she answers.

He inexplicably turns red, and then starts singing again.

She leaves him the change from her tea order that morning, wrapped in a scrap of paper that had her number on it.

* * *

"So," Luka says dryly as soon as she picks up, "I hope I'm not misinterpreting you leaving your number in my case."

"Yes, obviously by giving you my number I'm asking you to never talk to me again," she answers sarcastically, surprising herself. Sarcasm isn't something she's used in a long time. Honesty is supposed to be her priority. But it isn't really dishonesty, so…

"Oh, guess I must have misinterpreted, then," he jokes back at her.

"Clearly," she drones.

"All jokes aside, thanks. I didn't want to pull a cliche, but I do want to keep talking."

He wants to keep talking to her. And maybe she's unused to being wanted, maybe she's just rusty at romance in general.

She's never been the one pursued. Is it cowardly to want that? To want someone to want you, rather than chasing?

Kagami has always believed that one should follow their heart, no hesitation. Don't wait for your dream to come true, actively seek it.

But when that dream comes for you, sometimes you have to let it.

"Yeah. Me too."  _ I don't want to leave again,  _ she doesn't say.  _ I don't want to go away from this. _

She doesn't want to be ripped away again, and then left to the mercies of time and gravity upon returning.

The kind of gravity that keeps her feet on the ground...but is also pulling her apart.

* * *

They chat for a little longer until they both admit that they should sleep.

Kagami ends up staring at the dark ceiling, the pull-out couch feeling more uncomfortable than not. Normally, she doesn't have any problems falling asleep. But normally her days are also exhausting, whether mentally or physically. The exhaustion causes her to fall asleep and stay that way, which is definitely a good thing in the long run.

She's unfamiliar with being unable to calm her mind and body enough to fall asleep, to be stuck staring at the ceiling with nothing to do besides lay in bed.

That's a lie.

Maybe a nighttime run would be...beneficial. Get her tired enough. She'll just have to shower in the morning, which is unfamiliar but not bad.

She quickly changes into clothing more suitable for running and ties her hair up in a low ponytail. She dashes downstairs, taking a few key things with her on her way out (key to the apartment, phone, water, headphones - either clipped to her belt loops or in her hand).

Night in a big city is something to be wary of, with crime and other things - but Kagami is a  _ fighter,  _ and even though she is more formally trained she knows to prioritize self-preservation over all else.

The run is calming, once she gets to the park. There are very few people around, and while there’s some traffic on the roads for the most part the only noise is her feet pounding on the path and the soundtrack blasting through her phone.

And about forty-five minutes later, after she's warmed up and done some stretches to cool down, she hears some scuffling.

It’s...that "Andrews" girl, from the theater Adrien and Marinette volunteer/work for. And another person who seems to be attacking her. Andrews is hunched in on herself in a defensive position, and the other person looms over her in both atmosphere and height. 

"Hey!" she barks, drawing both of their attention over to her. They both seem confused by her presence. "Get away from her!"

She keeps herself in a position that despite her relative shortness projects enough confidence to exude over the stranger.

"And why should I?" the stranger says, in a gravelly voice. Probably a seasoned criminal of some kind.

"Because hurting someone who clearly can't defend herself isn't cool? If you're looking for a fight, at least pick someone who can fight. And if you're looking to rob someone? Then I won't let you."

He smirks. "Are you volunteering?"

Kagami returns it. "Better her than me."

She waits. If he's dumb enough, he'll deliver the first blow, making pleading self-defense easier later on if she has to face consequences for it.

"Call the cops!" she yells to Andrews, who's taken out her phone and seems to be...recording the encounter, as Kagami ducks the first punch.

Sheàs mostly fighting defensively, which goes against what she's been taught to do in these situations, but at least she can hold her own. Occasionally, she throws a punch or a kick, but she's waiting for an opportunity, an opening.

The value of strategy is just as important as being able to take the initiative. She isn't fighting defensively because she's  _ losing.  _ She's fighting defensively because she doesn't want to be looked at as the aggressor here.

And the opening comes.

She sweeps in and takes it, throwing him off-balance and pushing him onto the ground.

A police officer arrives at the scene. "What happened?"

"I have it on audio, Officer," Andrews says. She hits a button, presumably "play."

The recording picks up a few minutes before Kagami got between them, in which the stranger is talking to her.

_ "What's your name?" _

_ "Call me Av." _

_ "Alright, sweetheart." _

The talking goes on for a bit until the stranger asks her to give her her valuables, including "that pretty ring on your finger." Av tells the guy no, and then she runs out.

From there, the rest of it bears resemblance to her encounter with them. Av's recording of the incident is clever. The officer detains the guy.

Av comes over to her. "So...you and Adrien and Marinette know each other?"

"I first moved to Paris when I was fifteen."

"Why'd you move away? My name is Aveline, by the way."

"I'm Kagami," she answers. "I didn't think there was anything worth staying for at eighteen. Mother ended up agreeing with me, and we moved back to Japan, which is where I attended university. I didn't really get to say goodbye. I didn't regret it then, but...I do, now that I’m back.'

"If you left…" Aveline trails off before she asks the question. Kagami is uncertain if she could have answered whatever her question would have been. "Wait, are you Adrien's ex-girlfriend?"

"We dated for a time, yes. I don't want to answer too many questions about that, though. At the time I was looking for something that I thought he could give me, and he was looking for something and trying to get over someone."

"He and Marinette are...happy," Aveline comments. "I don’t want you to break them up."

"Why would you think I was trying to do so? Marinette and I are friends. I wouldn't do that to her. Besides, that was a long time ago."

"Yeah. That's okay. As long as you aren't here for them, then I'll be your friend."

"That...sounds pretty good, actually," Kagami answers. Friendship, she knows, is something precious. Something to be treasured - and something she’s never had enough of.

"Thanks again, Kagami. Good night."

"Have a good evening, Aveline."

She walks back to the apartment, collapsing on the pull-out couch without bothering to change back into pajamas.

* * *

She wakes up tired, which is something that hasn't happened in a while, but at least she got some restful sleep. All that running around and exhilaration was good for something, certainly.

She slowly walks over to the shower, grabbing her clothes for the day. Ondine seems to be still asleep, so she has the bathroom to herself for now.

Not a lot to do today, but she’s going to do some research into some of the fencing academies. She's sure that she's  _ skilled  _ enough to get hired - and the Tsurugi name pulls enough weight on its own in the world of fencing.

She comes out of the shower feeling better, more prepared for the day at hand.

But first, the cafe. Tea is a good idea.

* * *

Luka's at the counter when she arrives, smiling at her with that relaxed grin that maybe makes her want to smile in return. Maybe.

She orders her usual tea at the counter.

"Hey," Luka asks her as he processes the payment and hands her the change, "do you want to go out sometime?"

She suddenly feels the urge to run. "I apologize--"

"What?" She doesn't even know why, she can't even--

"I-I can't talk about it right now. I don't really  _ want _ to talk about it. I'm not sure if I can right now." She doesn’t  _ know  _ what’s wrong, she doesn’t  _ know  _ why she can’t accept this, she just knows that she  _ shouldn’t  _ accept what’s being offered to her right now.

"Okay," he says. "Whenever you do, call me."

"I will. I promise." And Kagami has never broken a promise before.

She places the change in the tip jar and goes to wait by the pickup window for her tea.

It doesn't make sense.

If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then what is this?

* * *

The past manages to haunt her.

The ice rink double dates, the ice cream at Andre's, the hotel where she saw Marinette's hair down for the first time (her hair is  _ short  _ now, so not fair), the juice place where she and Marinette really befriended each other.

There's so much here that she used to know, that used to be familiar but are echoes of what they used to be.

They changed, and Kagami hasn't changed with it.

Changee, she muses, is hard to observe from the inside. The shift seems natural inside your own head, like the sound of a siren.

The Doppler Effect, right? The further away, the further the shift? She tries to remember what she was taught.

Another memory. Adrien loved to talk about science, sometimes, but was always nervous to talk about it. After all, talking too much was just as much a sin as not talking enough.

Kagami dearly hopes that Adrien was drawn out of his shell. It seems like he's been, but she wasn't the right person to do it then. Or maybe it just wasn't the right time.

She feels almost suspended between past and present, caught in a web of her own weaving. There is nothing left for her in the past, yet it seems to follow her around everywhere she goes.

Kagami has been raised to stick to the future. That lingering in the past was no good for anyone.

And yet she's in Paris now, riddled with most of her best and worst memories packed all into the span of three years.

Everything is starting to crash together, and she feels like she's on the verge of breaking.

* * *

She gathers applications from a few fencing schools, a few that she personally wants to work for. Kagami spends the day just working on them, making sure that she can ensure a job.

The Tsurugi name carries weight, but she wants her own merit to be what earns her the job.

One school calls her the next day to schedule an interview. They're available in the afternoon. And she's free  _ anytime. _

Kagami walks into the building. The floor is covered in mats, there's a set of stretching bars, and a few different electronic areas.

"Ms. Tsurugi, it's good to see you face-to-face."

"It is good to meet you as well." She shakes the instructor's hand.

"Let's have a bout. Which discipline?'

"...what?" Is he asking her for a  _ fight? _

"A bout. You know what that means."

And then the other question filters into her head. "I'm primarily a sabre specialist, though I can do all three if necessary." She's had training in all of them, and she has plenty of opinions on which one is the best  _ (sabre,  _ obviously, though bias).

"Good." He tosses her a foil. "En garde!"

She takes her position. She's not precisely dressed for physical activity, but she can handle this. Kagami presses the attack first, keeping her sparring partner on his toes. They circle around the carpet, parrying each other’s strikes. She lunges for an opening as she dodges a strike.

When the tip of her foil makes contact with him, she says, "It’" really quite irresponsible to fence with improper attire."

"Ms. Tsurugi, you performed excellently. I've seen some of your televised fights, and you lived up to expectations."

"I'm a bit out of shape, if I'm being truly honest. I first moved back to Paris a month ago, and I haven’t had the chance to practice since I moved back."

"Okay. You honestly don't seem to have lost a bit of your touch." He wordlessly offers a hand to take her foil. She hands him the foil. "Call me Benji."

"Kagami." She offers her hand, and he shakes it.

"Welcome to the team," Benji tells her. "It's good to have you."

She nods. "I'm happy to be here."

Well. There's  _ some  _ stability in her life.

They do a bit more negotiations to make it official, fill out some of the paperwork that’s necessary. 

"You can start next week. You've seen our class schedule?"

"Yep."

"And sometimes people will book a private session to fight a more experienced person, or just to get private instruction. But those don't happen often, and I'll be handling most of them. I’ll see you next week, Kagami."

She nods. "I'll see you then."

* * *

**_Kagami:_ ** _ I"m sorry, but I'm still not ready. _

**_Luka:_ ** _ its ok, whenever youre ready _

**_Kagami:_ ** _ I don't know when it will be. _

**_Luka:_ ** _ it's ok to like more than one person _

**_Kagami:_ ** _ Is it "ok" to be so stuck in the past that it causes you to? _

**_Luka:_ ** _ for whatever its worth I dont think you are _

But she is.

She  _ is  _ clinging too hard. And that’s why she’s moved back here. She was miserable there, so she clung to the happiness she had in those three years and she hope(s? d?) to find it again now.

***

Her phone rings with Benji’s contact showing up on the Caller ID.

"Kagami Tsurugi."

"Hey, Kagami, someone booked a private session in a couple days. The guy and his girlfriend will be there, he's going to be showing her the ropes because he's a fencer, but I'd still feel better if someone were there to watch it. I'm not going to be available then for personal reasons."

"When is it?" she asks, no hesitation. She can babysit the building for a bit, make sure this jock and his girl don’t destroy the place. 

"Thursday at 2." She's free, but she's pretty much free all the time anyways, so it isn't a big deal.

"Alright. I will be there then."

"Thank you so much, Kagami."

"Don’t worry about it."

It isn't like she was going to be doing anything better.

* * *

She arrives a little before 2 PM, to be extra professional and unlock the building before whoever it is shows up. Benji neglected to tell her exactly who it was, but it doesn’t really matter.

The car pulls in at 1:57. She’s looking at the clock when it does, and it’s catalogued as the moment where her life is thrown off again, like Earth being knocked into its slightly sideways axis that causes the seasons.

What’s with all the science?

She shakes her head in disbelief. Because that's  _ Adrien,  _ and  _ Marinette,  _ and if Adrien was going to teach Marinette to fence wouldn't he have done it a long time ago? Didn’t he already try?

(Yes. And that's how she was akumatized. She doesn't like looking back on that day very much.)

He holds the door for Marinette. They're both carrying gym bags. Good that they came prepared, because Kagami isn’t emotionally prepared for this.

"Hey there, is there--" Adrien cuts off as he sees her, which is a very fair reaction. "Anything I should look out for?" He manages to finish his question, at least.

"There are electronic scorekeeping mats nearby if you want them, but I will have to turn those on manually. There's also the larger mat, which is more for general practice. If you need to borrow a foil there are some racks there--" she points, "and if you need anything else feel free to ask."

"You work here?"

"It's a recent development." She shrugs. "Obviously."

"I've been meaning to check this place out for a while," Adrien declares. "I didn't...know." He looks over at Marinette at that last statement.

(It's for Marinette, she knows. To verify that nobody is doing anything with anyone, and while Kagami appreciates that forethought, but…there's a lot of things that they can do.)

"Have fun. I will be here if either of you get hurt, or if either of you need anything."

"Where are the changing stalls?" Marinette asks, the first time she's spoken since they started.

Kagami wordlessly points behind them.

Everything still feels awkward and stilted and it feels like her fault for being generally unable to move on.

Adrien and Marinette walk out separately. Adrien has his own foil, but Marinette picks up one from the rack. She listens to him explain the stance, some of the basics…

"That's incorrect," she says when he says something wrong. "Standing like that will make it easy to lose balance. You've clearly gotten  _ rusty,  _ Adrien." She smirks. It's a challenge, and she lets herself have this because it feels good to challenge him.

"Think I’m rusty, Kagami?" He  _ looks  _ at her, and she can tell that he's accepting the challenge.

"I don't blame you for that. After all, it's probably been a while since the last time."

"And how long has it been for you?:

"I've been here, how long do you think?"

"Well, I guess we'll both have to see."

This is a new experience. There's something in the push-pull dynamic. The distance between them feels magnetized.

"Is that a challenge, Agreste?"

"Do you want to accept?"

She walks over to grab her foil and helmet. "I'm always down to defeat you."

"What makes you so sure you'll win?"

She doesn't give him the satisfaction of an answer, just flips down her helmet.

"Marinette, do you feel comfortable calling this match?" Adrien says. “I don't want to make you do something you don't want."

Marinette swallows, but nods. "I think I'm more qualified now than I was then."

They all know what incident is being referenced. She doesn't blame Marinette for it anymore, and hopes that Marinette doesn't blame herself for the bad call.

"Good." Adrien flips down his own helmet.

"Ready?" Marinette says. They both adjust into their stances, rapiers brandished. "Begin!"

The foils clash between them. Kagami goes in for the attack at the same time as Adrien. She takes it fast, hoping to overwhelm him with speed. She keeps moving around him, dodging strikes from the foil while attempting to throw her own into the mix.

She  _ missed  _ fighting Adrien. She's had people who were just as skilled as her before that she's fought since leaving France for the first time, but there's nothing that can beat the experience that is fighting him. The atmosphere still feels electric, she still feels like they're magnets, constantly being flipped into pushing and pulling each other.

And it hits her just then that she…isn't over Adrien. She's over Adrien as much as anyone can get over him, which is…not at all. Kagami still loves him just as much as she did at fifteen.

"Adrien wins!"

She blinks, lifting her visor. "Good match." She holds out for a handshake.

He takes it. "I feel like it wasn't really fair. You got distracted."

She shrugs. "I've pulled the same thing on you too many times. It's time that you did the same to me."

It doesn't feel as disappointing to lose, not like it normally does. She still feels the exhilaration of the fight, the way it ebbed and flowed.

"Alright. Marinette?" Marinette smiles at them.

"Yeah, I'm ready to keep going." Adrien gives this soft look to her, and Kagami abruptly realizes that...that they're for each other. Neither of them are for Kagami.

And she has one  _ very available  _ option that wants her. Indecisiveness is a character flaw, but choosing  _ all  _ is a choice, too.

That's what she said when she came out to Mother. She needs to keep believing that.

Adrien guides Marinette lovingly into the right position, and then they spar for a bit. Adrien wins, but he's going easy on her. She seems a little reluctant, a little too heavy footed for the fight. She's reluctant to move around, just staying in place and turning around to fend off Adrien's attacks, but keeping at least one foot firmly in the same place at all times. Kagami hears Adrien’s gentle corrections to Marinette.

She tries to tune them out.

**_Kagami:_ ** _ We need to talk things out. In person. _

**_Luka:_ ** _ ok, when are u free? _

**_Kagami:_ ** _ After 5 PM I’ll be good. _

**_Luka:_ ** _ 6:30 good? Let's meet at the bridge. _

She somehow knows which one he's talking about.

**_Kagami:_ ** _ I'll see you then. _

She's cementing her fate.

Adrien and Marinette leave at 3:30, according to schedule, and she shoots off a quick text to Benji asking if he'll be there for the kids' class at 4 because they're starting to show up and she hasn't handled the kids alone before.

And then she sees his car pull in.

They talk for a bit, and Kagami says that the clients were  _ very  _ good, but she doesn't divulge more on the private session. She's able to help out with the class, too.

And then the kids start to arrive. She doesn't know them well at all, but when the class starts he introduces her as Instructor Kagami, and she can tell that the kids like her despite her awkwardness around them. It's good.

It helps to distract her a little bit from everything with Marinette and Adrien and Luka. The three of them are entangled in her mind. Present, past, and future.

Perhaps a fusion of all three is best.

After the class, she changes and heads out,  _ happy. _

* * *

She's at the bridge early, because she walks there. The sunset looks nice, and the Seine is  _ very  _ polluted, ruining the atmosphere.

"Kagami?" Luka leans into the railing next to her, a respectable half-meter away. "How have you been?"

"Good." She turns her head to look at him. The sunset lights him from behind, the orange and the blue complimenting each other instead of clashing against each other. "I did mean it when I said that we needed to talk."

"Yeah. I'm going to be  _ blatantly  _ transparent - I want to pursue a romantic relationship with you. I want to date you, Kagami. But only if you want it, too." Honesty is good. Kagami can do fact, she can repay honesty with honesty.

"I do too, but there are other people too. I still have baggage from  _ before,  _ and I’m not sure if it’s just that baggage or if it’s genuine feelings." The insecurities come spilling out. "I was with Adrien and Marinette today, and realized that I still possess some feelings for them. I can’t tell if it's just a desire to cling hopelessly to the past or if it's legitimate."

"Marinette, back when we were dating, told me that it was impossible to get over Adrien. I think maybe she was right," Luka jokes. "I thought that you liked definite choices."

"Both - or in this case, all - is an active choice, too." Kagami’s beliefs are firm on this. "All is a choice, too. None is also a choice. But you have to actively put effort into choosing it to make it a choice. It can't just be passive. I don't believe that you have to choose just one." And that was the main part of the conflict that led to her return.

"I agree, but that might not be possible."

"I know. But what does it hurt to try?" In Kagami's mind, trying...trying can hurt, but it's more worth it to try than to not at all. "I would be willing to try. With all of you."

He reaches a hand towards her. "Yeah."

* * *

"Hey, Kagami," Ondine says. "My lease on the apartment is ending soon."

Kagami freezes. She's started to pay Ondine back for the rent after being hired, but that isn't good.

"Are you planning on renewing it?"

"No. I'm going to be moving in with Kim." She knows that she should have expected it, but it still hits hard.

"Thank you for your generosity with me."

"The lease expires at the end of the month."

"Alright. I have other places to stay, you both don’t need to keep...sheltering me."

"Are you sure, Kagami?"

"Yeah. I've been getting a little more stability. And there are a couple people that have also opened up for me."

"I just…I don't want you to be homeless, because that sucks." Ondine's soft, and her concern is nice, but Kagami's been effectively homeless. She didn't officially become Ondine's roommate until she started paying rent. Being a freeloader on a pullout couch doesn't count as being not-homeless.

"I have people."

Marinette offered, and Kagami will take that offer. Even it does kill her inside to constantly be around them and the air around Adrien and Marinette and the way they love each other and none of that was ever for them.

Even when they were dating.

She knows that she love(s/d) Adrien more than he loved her before, but she doesn't know enough about Luka and Marinette's history.

Coming to terms with everything is still difficult, and it might become more difficult. But Kagami knows that she'll keep going. Even if trying to bring them into the something between her and Luka doesn't work out, they have to be able to lean on each other and find comfort.

She has romantic feelings for all of them, but it takes different forms for each person. Past, present, future.

Looping back on itself as present simultaneously inches towards the future and becomes left in the past.

**_Kagami:_ ** _ Do you still have an available guest room? _

* * *

"I have to move out of where I currently live. I don't have enough saved up to get my own apartment yet, not in the city." Luka nods as she explains. "When Marinette and I met up, she said that she and Adrien had an open guest room. I will likely be taking it. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"We both like them. But I haven't seen Adrien since…a while ago…and I don’t see Marinette too often anymore. I don’t know if…" He taps a single finger against his chin. "I don't want to ask for a double date or anything."

She laughs, surprising even herself. All the too-confusing double dates from before are flashing in her head. "I don't think I want to relive those times either."

"Yeah. It's okay if you move in with them." He attempts to make eye contact. She looks to the side to avoid it. "I would do the same, given the opportunity, but I'm worried that…"

"That what?"

"It's about the thing with Adrien again. We didn't part on the best of terms. I don't like talking about it often, and most of the people in my life know about it, so there's no need for me to explain it. This is the first time I've had to talk about it to someone who doesn’t know."

"Is it related to your band?"

"Ex-band. I left. There’s a new guitarist. It makes being with my sister awkward, at the very least."

"I would imagine. I don't know enough about everything, though." Kagami hadn’t kept up with it. Kitty Section isn't huge outside of certain circles, and none of those circles were wide enough to encapsulate Japan. "I'm here if you want to talk about it, though."

She reaches a hand over the table. He takes it. She feels bold enough to look back up and meet his eyes.

"It was...a few years ago."

"Okay."

"Adrien was still our keyboard player. And...Adrien and Marinette weren't officially together then, but you had already moved away and Marinette and I were broken up and it seemed inevitable that they would get together. It was only a matter of time for them, really." He laughs, but it isn't really funny to either of them. "It was good. We were all just...having fun recording the songs and stuff. But we still had arguments, and one of the ones between Rose and Ivan had us all taking a walk. Adrien and I were together on that walk. And...I really wanted to kiss him. So I did, in what was quite possibly the worst decision of my life."

"Okay." She doesn't think that kissing Adrien should  _ ever _ count on anyone's "worst decision ever made" list, but she'll let Luka finish.

"It was towards the end of recording, so almost everything was done. But Rose and Jules found us, and Rose really wanted Adrien and Marinette to get together. Even her future brother-in-law wasn't going to get in the way of that. I didn't really think anything through then. And then Adrien said 'never again,' and he backed out of touring, and I haven't spoken to him since."

"I'm sorry," she breathes. "That's terrible."

He shrugs. "What could I have done about it? And I'm not as replaceable - lead guitar is important in rock music, and I couldn't just  _ back out.  _ But I said that I was leaving after the tour, and they had time to find a new guitarist."

"There wasn’t anything else?"

And she realizes what exactly Luka is afraid of. That Adrien really meant that "never" when he said it.

"That was all." Luka sighs. "I don't really want to believe that he means that never, but he could. And I regret doing it because I'm not sure if our relationship can recover from it."

"I understand," she replies. "But, for whatever my opinion is worth, I think that Adrien would forgive you."

"I know he would. And Juleka does, and Rose kind of does. It's complicated. But I don't really want to come back to the band anymore."

She nods. "It's going to be okay, Luka." Kagami isn't sure if she believes it, but she's trying. And it feels more okay now than when she first moved here.

* * *

**_Marinette:_ ** _ ofc, Kagami. and Adrien's ok with it too _

**_Kagami:_ ** _ Thank you. _

**_Marinette:_ ** _ I don't like to break my promises. _

She packed her things back up into the duffel and suitcase, everything she needed split between them. The last day of the month was fast approaching.

"I do not think I could ever repay you for your kindness, Ondine," Kagami says as they prepare to leave.

"You don't have to, Kagami. Kindness can exist for its own sake." Ondine embraces her quickly.

Most of the kindness she's been afforded has been for some purpose. There are only a few people that have given their kindness freely to her, and all of them live here. Maybe  _ that _ was why she came back.

She's been given so much, though. How can she afford to not give it back?

* * *

She knocks on the door of the address she's been given.

Marinette opens the door. "Do you need me to take anything?"

"No, this is it." The duffle is over her shoulder, and the suitcase is being dragged behind her, and she doesn't have anything else.

"Alright." Marinette steps aside to let her in. "Welcome to our home. I'll show you your room."

* * *

They settle into a rhythm easily. She and Adrien mostly avoid each other, which means that she's stuck being ignored in general because Adrien hangs onto Marinette.

She ends up spending most of her time outside the house, either at work or with Luka.

"I know that it's hard to be around him for me after the match," Kagami grouses to Luka, "but I don't know why he would be the one avoiding me."

"Adrien…has difficulty acknowledging love for more than one person. I mean, we all remember before. He might have realized the same thing as you, without the same personal-identity backing that you do."

Kagami blinks. "I understand, but living in the same house is…difficult when we're dodging each other. I think Marinette is feeling the strain from it."

"If he won't take the chance, you should," Luka says. "I don't want you to dodge him again and again too."

"Yeah. No hesitation, right?" She smiles at him.

He shrugs. "There are some times where it's right."

"Being impulsive and not being hesitant are not the same thing. You can strategize. I was more impulsive before, but I enjoy thinking that I know how to choose which situations need more time and which don't."

"We're on the same side of this debate," Luka answers, laughing. "But seriously. Proper communication does wonders for relationships of every type. That's why we're doing well now."

She lets herself laugh a bit with him. "Yeah. I love you."

Kagami doesn't regret saying it. She's always believed that these sorts of things should be communicated, because if one puts it off it'll be too late.

* * *

Adrien's cooking breakfast today. They trade off if they're all home, which doesn't happen often for lunch but is typical for breakfast and dinner.

"We should talk," Kagami says, leaning against the refrigerator. "I know you've been avoiding me."

"It's…strange," Adrien answers. "You come back, and we're all different people since we were teenagers, but so much is still the same."

It strangely echoes how she's felt since she came back. Everything around her has been different, but so much of it is the same as before.

"Yeah. I have been feeling the same way since I came back. So much is different from before, but so much has remained the same I can sometimes see the ghosts of before running around in the streets."

"Why did you come back? You left without saying goodbye, and now you're back here again. Why?"

"I was disowned." It feels like a confession. It is a confession. "I do not wish to say why exactly I was disowned. And I would have given you a proper farewell if I could."

She's tempted to step closer. But she should give him room at the stove. After all, breakfast is still cooking.

"I loved you," he says, "and it hurt me when you left, because so many of the people that I've loved have left me. My mother did. My father practically did, even if he didn't physically. And then you. That's made me more afraid that the people that I love now will leave me. Marinette. Nino. My other friends. And it's taken me a long time to recover from those fears."

"I didn't want to suddenly leave. It wasn't planned. And I don't know how to make you trust me again, but can we at least stop avoiding each other for Marinette's sake?"

He looks over at her, the first time he's looked away from the stove. "Sure."

* * *

They settle into a more comfortable friendship. The atmosphere is considerably not as tense.

She realizes that she's never been just friends with Adrien. They were always on the verge of something romantic, even if it took a while to become official. It's nice to not have those kinds of pressures, even if she still has some of those romantic feelings. After all, it isn't the same as before even if the target (or at least one of them) is.

* * *

"Kagami, you're in a relationship, right?" Marinette asks.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Marinette purses her lips. "The show Adrien and I are working on is coming up soon. I wanted to know how many tickets we should reserve."

"I can pay for them, Marinette. Besides, it supports your work if I buy them myself."

"Alright. I'll send you the link to reserve them, then. By the way, is it someone we both know?"

"It is," Kagami answers. "You'll see him there, though."

* * *

"Did you know that Adrien and Marinette are both working-slash-volunteering at a community theater?" Kagami asks Luka, because she isn't sure if he knows.

"No. Why?"

"The show is coming up. I was going to buy us tickets, if you wanted to come."

"That would be great, Kagami. I'd love that."

Okay. She can do that, then.

* * *

The play isn't too exciting. Aveline and Adrien are both very good at acting as though they are in love with each other in the romantic subplot, but the play isn't about that. Luka gets absorbed in watching the stage and the play.

He looks beautiful in the dim lights, staring at the stage with awe and intensity.

They brought a bouquet for Adrien. It lays in her lap and reminds her too much of before.

It ends faster than expected, considering that she was barely paying attention to it. She heads over to the outside door to the stage after exiting.

"Are you sure about this?" Kagami asks. "I don't want you to feel...pressured into seeing Adrien."

"I want to," Luka answers firmly. The door is propped open just a crack. A sign saying  _ ACTORS/CREW ONLY  _ is taped to it.

"I suppose we aren't going in, then," she murmurs.

Adrien opens the door further, and he and Marinette both come out.

"You were both excellent," she says, offering the bouquet. Marinette takes it.

"Congratulations," Luka says to them. "It was a great show."

Both of them seem shocked by Luka's existence.

_ "Kagami,"  _ Marinette says, and it sounds slightly strangled. She clears her throat. "When did this happen?"

"It's complicated," Kagami says, in tandem with Luka's "For the past few months."

"Do you want to come out to celebratory dinner with us?" Adrien asks. Marinette looks over at him.

Kagami and Luka exchange their own look. "Sure," Luka answers. "We have time."

* * *

The dinner is a mistake. None of them seem comfortable. Kagami keeps having flashbacks to before, to other dates like this.* Marinette and Luka and Adrien have some awkwardness between them, so Kagami is stuck as their mediator.

"This is more awkward than I anticipated," Marinette says, attempting to joke. It doesn't land well.

Luka mutters something to himself that Kagami doesn't hear. 

"I'm done with this whole thing of pretending that everything is fine," he begins. "Because it isn't, and I don't know about you all but I don't want to keep repressing it like we did as teenagers."

"Luka, are you sure that you want to--"

"It's now or never, Kagami." She doesn't think it's quite that desperate, but she doesn't want to keep not communicating.

"Okay." She takes a deep breath and lays her palms flat on the table. "We're interested in you both romantically and want to pursue a polyamorous relationship with you both."

"We're going to need to talk about it on our own," Marinette answers. "But we'll table this discussion for another day."

"Yes," Adrien says. "I want to. But Marinette and I need to talk about it first."

She sags a bit. All of them focus on the meal.

The wait for the check is awkward.

They split up and head home, but being in the same household as Marinette and Adrien has the potential to become very awkward very fast.

"Do you want to stay with me for the night, Kagami?" he asks as they walk to the bus stop.

"I'm good. It might be weird, but I think I can survive as long as it takes for them to talk it out." She smiles. "But thank you."

"I'm really happy to have  _ you,  _ Kagami. I love you for who you are, not because I'm also in love with Marinette and Adrien."

"I love you for yourself too, Luka." The bus pulls up. "You better go."

He gets on the bus. "See you later."

Kagami walks home by herself.

* * *

She hears Marinette and Adrien talking as she unlocks the door.

"I haven't spoken to Luka since…"

"I know, Adrien. It's complicated. But we can always…" Marinette trails off as she spots Kagami. "Sorry, Kagami. I know it has to be hard to negotiate all this."

"Don't be sorry. It's best to have everything out in the open."

"I think we both need more time to get to know Luka again after what's happened. Do we have to take both of you if we do?"

"I'll talk to him about it. But I'd be willing to try. As long as we all know our expectations. And all of us need to be here, in person, if we are to keep discussing this."

"I want to try," Adrien says, reaching towards Kagami. "But before we talk about it again, it would probably benefit all of us to have some sleep first."

"Yeah," Kagami answers.

The three of them embrace.

**_Kagami:_ ** _ They're still on the fence about you. But they're willing to try. Come over for breakfast? _

**_Luka:_ ** _ sure! _

**_Kagami:_ ** _ Sleep well. _

**_Luka:_ ** _ sweet dreams <3 _

* * *

"I invited Luka over for breakfast," she tells Adrien and Marinette.

Adrien nods. "We've decided."

Marinette calls back from the stove, "Alright!"

A knocking on the door overdoes the sound of breakfast on the stove.

"I'll get it," Adrien says, getting up to answer the door.

Luka comes in and sits down next to Kagami.

Marinette serves breakfast to the three of them, and sits across instead of next to Adrien.

"Okay," Marinette says. "Neither of us have anything against you, Luka, but it's been a long time, and we haven't had as much time to get to know you afterwards."

"So, we'd like to date Kagami, and get to know you again," Adrien picks up. "I think eventually all four of us could be in a relationship, but for now, Marinette and I need time."

"Okay. I understand," Luka says, directing his attention to Marinette. "I can do that. We can make it."

Kagami smiles. "I'm glad."

It's going to be okay. They're on the path to resolution, and they all still have things to work on, but it'll be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> The[ Miraculous Fanworks Discord server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) has been seriously inspiring. I've had this idea since March, where it was originally titled "Flowers and Flight". This story was written almost entirely on writing sprints coordinated there. I can't thank them enough for supporting this.
> 
> Aveline and Benji are my OCs. Aveline will be appearing in a future ML work. I don't know if Benji will appear again, but I like him so maybe. Some other fun facts about them:  
> \- Aveline's full last name is actually Caron-Andrews  
> \- Benji needed to call Kagami to take over that visit because he had a date with a prospective boyfriend  
> \- Aveline is engaged to another OC named Raine, who will be the main pair in my next ML fic with OCs.
> 
> Follow me elsewhere online, if you want:  
> alto-tenure - main Tumblr  
> the-river-of-light - visual art Tumblr  
> beunforgotten - writing Tumblr  
> riiveroflight - Twitter


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